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| Venue: Alexandra Palace, London Dates: 8 January-15 January |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
Judd Trump opened up a narrow 5-3 lead over Mark Williams in the opening session of Sunday’s Masters final.
Two-time champion Williams, who last reached the final in 2003 opened with a wonderful break of 138.
Trump, the 2019 winner, made two half centuries and a century of his own to lead 4-1 and then took the last frame of the afternoon with an 89 after Williams had responded with breaks of 100 and 60.
The match will resume at 19:00 GMT.
At 47, Williams is the oldest Masters finalist since Ray Reardon (aged 50) in 1983 and had been cast as the favourite by his opponent prior to the match, based on the players’ respective form over the week.
And the Welshman did not disappoint in the opening frame, knocking in a long red from Trump’s break-off shot and going on to compile a sublime century.
Trump replied with a fine 61 to win the second frame and then took a scrappy third in which both players were guilty of missing routine pots.
The Englishman extended his lead with a superb 106 after Williams missed a relatively easy yellow into the right middle and went three frames clear with a 73 after brilliantly potting a risky long red that he was initially unwilling to take on.
However, Williams made the most of Trump’s refusal to take a long red to the top right corner as he hit back with a century to reduce his arears and then won the next.
But a speculative attempt on a double to the right middle halted the seven-time Triple Crown winner’s hopes of drawing level as Trump punished him heavily to take a slender advantage into the evening.
Analysis – ‘Trump’s competitive spirit’ shines through
Six-time world champion and three-time Masters winner Steve Davis on BBC Two
Judd Trump fans will be delighted with that performance – he looks like he has timed his run to perfection.
At the start of the tournament you think there’s no way somebody low on confidence can win the tournament, but if you are in it you can win it and he has fought his way through.
If Judd did turn that one red down, where we criticised him, because he is lacking in confidence on long shots, then how amazing would that be to win the event? It shows you his competitive spirit – and how clever he is as a player as well.
They are both proven winners so expect neither of them to baulk at the finishing line. Mark Williams is still in touch, so unless Judd ups his game, Mark is going to have a chance.
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